Tomorrow Is A Different Day
by Dreamer In Disguise
Summary: Yo. This is Angel In Disguise. I needed another sn, so here I am. If you liked my old stories, you'll like this one. Enjoy!
1. Sisterly Love, Friendly Shove

"But Rach, Philadelphia is so far away from home..." Crystal Maguire whined. "I'm so used to Texas...I don't know how I'd adjust!"  
  
"I mean, come on, Crys! You being in college with me would be great! I can see all the trouble we'll cause already!" Rachel Maguire grinned, as she tried to persuade Crystal to move From Austin, Texas to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rachel was about to start her senior year in Pennbrook University, and she didn't want to be without family. "All my friends here are great! I know you'd fit right in...come on, Crys, please?"  
  
"I'll think about it. I'll ask Des if she wants to come with me. But, if she says no, then I do too." Crystal told her. "Ok?"  
  
Rachel remembered Destiny's personality. Destiny was spontaneous and fun, so she knew that she'd be seeing her sister within the next month or so. "Ok!" Rachel grinned. "Call me tomorrow with your answer, ok?" she asked.  
  
"Talk to you tomorrow, Rach..." Crystal hung up the phone.  
  
"See ya soon, sis!" Rachel hung up the phone.  
  
Crystal stood up. She was so used to Texas University, and she was only gonna be a sophomore. Awkward, she knew, but she'd always gotten used to things so easily. She remembered how she'd reacted when Rachel left to go to Philadelphia, and how she'd wanted to cry. Rachel (along with Destiny Matthews) was her best friend. It seemed as though no matter how many times they talked, their friendship only got stronger. She wanted to go to Pennsylvania, because she missed Rachel terribly, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to give up the life she had in Texas. She sighed, picked up the phone, and called Destiny. She'd have an answer.  
  
"Hello? Matthews residence, Destiny speaking..." Destiny answered.  
  
"Des? It's Crystal...Rachel just called..." Crystal explained, kind of glumly.  
  
"That's...bad?" Destiny asked, puzzled by Crystal's tone of voice.  
  
"She wants me to come to Philadelphia, and go to Pennbrook with her next year..." Crystal shrugged. "You tell me..."  
  
"Whoa! YES! And take me with you! It'd be awesome, Crys. We need a change. Texas is boring. Who knows, maybe there are new men for us to terrorize up there..." Destiny grinned. "I already know my idiot that lives there! Two as a matter of fact! My cousins Cory and Eric!"  
  
"What if it's no fun?" Crystal still seemed unsure. "I mean...what if it's too hard for me to adjust? You know how I feel about change..."  
  
"You remind me of Cory..." Destiny rolled her eyes. "Cory's always freaking out, any time something changes. But change isn't always bad, Crys. I get the feeling, if we give it a chance, and go to Philadelphia, we'll love it. Imagine all the trouble you, Rach and I can cause together, in one college?" Crystal sighed. "Do you really think it's a good idea?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I do. What's the worst that could happen?" Destiny wished she'd held her tongue, after she'd said that.  
  
"Destiny, I'll let that go, just because you're an idiot." Crystal shook her head. "But, I mean, what if something does go wrong?"  
  
"It won't, Crys. Just trust me, ok? Please?" Destiny begged.  
  
"Fine...we'll go. But if I don't like it, I swear to you, I'm packing my things right back up, and coming right back here, with or without you!" Crystal protested.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Destiny laughed, hanging up the phone.  
  
Crystal thought for a minute. What could be bad? Rachel likes it there, and she's my sister. I trust her. She and I do have similar taste in places...maybe it'd be fun. Yeah, I'll have a lot of fun...I'll meet a lot of new people, and visit a lot of cool places. And I'll still be in school, so mom and dad won't hate me. It'll be great. I'll love it. She ran a hand through her long, auburn hair and looked into the mirror. "You're going to Philadelphia, Crystal Maguire, and you're gonna love it!"  
  
~~  
  
Crystal and Destiny prepared for the move the entire week that followed. They arranged for a moving van to bring their things to Rachel's apartment, and called Rachel about ten times to be sure that she had room in the apartment. But, on Monday, as they were standing in the airport, their parents on either side of them, it struck Crystal what they were actually doing.  
  
"Des, remind me again why we're doing this?" Crystal asked.  
  
"Because it's a fun new adventure, and we're gonna love it!" Destiny sounded like a teenager on a road trip movie.  
  
Great, Des is going all Crossroads on me. What a plane ride this is gonna be... Crystal hugged her dad. "Daddy...do you think I'll be ok?" she asked.  
  
"Rachel says she loves it there. I'm sure you will too!" Andy Maguire reassured his daughter. "Right, Christine?" he looked at his wife.  
  
Christine had a partially happy (probably because her daughters were going to be together), but partially sad (probably because she was losing another 'baby') look on her face. "Exactly. You'll love it. I don't know of a time when you, Destiny and Rachel didn't have fun together."  
  
"You're right..." she nodded. "Thanks mom, thanks dad." She hugged them "I'll call you as soon as I get to the apartment, ok?"  
  
"Ok, have a safe plane ride..." Christine smiled, as everyone except Destiny and Crystal shared a hug.  
  
"Here goes nothing..." Destiny patted Crystal's back, and they boarded the plane, to the biggest adventure of their lives. 


	2. From Austin To Philly, We Still Rock

"RACHEL!" Destiny screeched, as she got off the plane, and saw Rachel headed their way. "HEY!"  
  
"Des? DES! You've changed! How have you been?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Great, and you?" she asked.  
  
"I've been awesome! Where's Crys?" Rachel asked.  
  
"She had to make a complaint about the food..." Destiny laughed. "That girl is always complaining..."  
  
"At least you got her to come! She didn't want to, though, did she?" Rachel asked.  
  
"It's not that she didn't miss you, Rach. You know how she feels about change..." Destiny explained.  
  
Crystal walked down the stairs of the plane, and grinned when she saw Rachel. "RACH!" she yelled.  
  
"Lil sis?" Rach ran toward Crystal.  
  
Destiny smiled, and walked behind Rachel. She remembered all the great times that the three of them always had together. And now that they were all in college, the times could only get better.  
  
"Rach! Oh my God! How have you been?" Crystal hugged her sister.  
  
"Great! How about you?" she asked.  
  
"I have jet lag, like you wouldn't believe!" Crystal complained. "But oh well. Wow...it's a lot colder up here..." she looked down at the shorts and tank top she was wearing. "I suppose I'll be wearing a lot less of these?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, we actually have seasons here..." Rachel grinned. "You're gonna love it. Wait until you mean Cory, Shawn, Eric and Topanga..." she was excited. "They're gonna love you!"  
  
"I know Cory and Eric...they're my cousins..." Destiny grinned. "Eric and I used to terrorize Mr. Feeny. is he still alive?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Feeny is still alive..." Rachel laughed. "He's probably gonna teach you in some class or another."  
  
"He still teaches?" Destiny asked. "Does he still live next door to my aunt and uncle?"  
  
"Yes, thank God poor Cory and Eric are living in the dorms, too, because he's married." Rachel shuddered at the thought of what may go on in the Feeny household.  
  
"Oh...whoa...someone married...FEENY?" Destiny's jaw dropped.  
  
Crystal laughed. "I take it this Feeny character is...interesting?"  
  
"You could say that," Rachel laughed. "He's pretty cool, though. If teachers HAVE to exist, Mr. Feeny is the best one possible."  
  
"Anyone else I should know about?" Crystal asked. "I'm sure Destiny knows everyone. She can help you tell me..."  
  
"Well, we'll start with Topanga..." Destiny smiled, thinking she knew everything about all these people.  
  
"She's really smart. Rachel, is Topanga still weird? Like...does she still do psycho incantations and stuff? I remember she tried to turn me into a bug once..."  
  
"Nah, she's grown out of it." Rachel shrugged. "She and Cory are married...you know that, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I couldn't make the wedding. Are they mad?" Destiny asked.  
  
"No, they understand." Rachel nodded. "There were a lot of no shows, just as they figured, since the date changed so suddenly."  
  
"Ok, cool." Destiny felt better. "Should we warn her about Eric? Or let her find out for herself?"  
  
"She needs to know..." Rachel laughed. "Poor girl would be traumatized otherwise. Ok, picture Destiny, only worse."  
  
"Like, worse how?" Crystal asked.  
  
"Let's put it this way...he thinks a can is a jar, and tries to open it like one..." Destiny laughed, remembering the time Eric tried to open a soup can with his hands.  
  
"And, he tries to smash full soda cans on his head..." Rachel rolled her eyes.  
  
"He did?" Destiny scoffed.  
  
"He stole her trademark..." Crystal shook her head. "Anyone else I wanna know about? I mean, I know about Cory...and I knew Eric was kinda weird, cause Destiny told me..."  
  
"There's Jack..." Rachel shrugged. "He's pretty much normal though."  
  
"I don't know of a Jack..." Destiny looked confused.  
  
"He moved in a year or so before I did..." Rachel explained. "He's Shawn's half-brother..."  
  
"Whoa, Shawn has a half-brother?" Destiny asked. "I've missed so much..."  
  
"Yes, you have..." Rachel laughed.  
  
"How's Shawn, anyway?" Destiny grinned, knowing Shawn was exactly Crystal's type.  
  
"Who's Shawn, anyway?" Crystal asked, in the same tone Destiny had used.  
  
"Shawn is Cory's best friend...even though they act more like a married couple than best friends..." Rachel started to laugh, then half smiled. "Shawn and Jack's father just died. And, he just lost his girlfriend. Right after he'd convinced himself that he was in love."  
  
Destiny's jaw dropped. "Chet? No way! Not Chet!" her eyes welled up with tears. "Why did no one inform me of this?"  
  
"Shawn hasn't been telling many people about it..." Rachel frowned. "Topanga and Cory suggested that he tell you, but he got mad, and stormed out of the house..."  
  
"Poor Shawn..." Destiny looked down. "What about Virna? Has she come by?"  
  
"Virna..." Rachel heaved a deep sigh. "Virna isn't his real mother...he got an anonymous letter, telling him that, then tracked Virna down, asked her, and found out it was true. Then, he found his real mother online, and she has yet to reply to him."  
  
Crystal wanted to cry for someone she didn't even know. "Poor guy! Is he ok?" she asked.  
  
"How is he taking it?" Destiny was shocked. "I mean, on a Shawn level...is he lashing out? Or...running away?"  
  
"A little of both..." Rachel sighed. "After Chet died, he felt alone, so he took off in search of himself. Then, when Joshua was born...he came back. And then, Cory and Topanga got married, leaving him feeling even more alone. So, he clung tighter to the only real relationship he had left, with his girlfriend, Angela. Then, Angela broke up with him, and then he found out about his mother. He's had a really rough year."  
  
Wow...and I thought I had it rough? This poor guy has nothing...no one... Crystal thought. I'll have to make a point to befriend him. No one deserves that kind of loneliness.  
  
~~  
  
"TOPANGA!" Destiny screeched, running up to Topanga Matthews, and hugging her as tight as she could. "How are you doing? It's been so long!"  
  
"Oh my gosh! Destiny! What have you been doing? Why haven't you called?" Topanga asked. "I've been missing you!"  
  
"You moved, or I would have! I tried to..." Destiny hung her head.  
  
"You should have called my mother and father in law..." Topanga held up her wedding ring.  
  
"Speaking of...where are my idiot cousins?" Destiny looked around.  
  
Crystal leaned against the fall, feeling out of place. I know none of these people...I feel kinda...weird... she thought.  
  
"Hello, I'm Eric Matthews, and you must be related to Rachel, cause, DAMN girl!" an unfamiliar face popped up in front of Crystal. "I take it you're Crystal?"  
  
"Yeah...and I assume you're Eric?" she asked.  
  
"How could you tell?" Eric grinned. "Is it the Matthews charm?"  
  
"No, I was warned..." Crystal laughed.  
  
"This is Jack, my best friend and roommate." Eric pointed to his friend standing next to him.  
  
"Hey, Rachel told me about you. She said you're really nice. Nice to meet you, Jack." She smiled.  
  
"You too, Crystal." Jack smiled back.  
  
"Yo, airhead!" Destiny called to Eric. "No love for your cousin?" she asked.  
  
"CUZZY CUZ!" Eric embraced Destiny in the tightest hug she'd ever had. "How are ya?"  
  
"Great. I've missed it so much here! And everything's changed so much..." Destiny sighed.  
  
Crystal went back to her spot against the wall, when she was greeted by another unfamiliar face. "Hello...you must be Crystal...I'm Topanga..."  
  
"Hey, Rachel and Destiny have told me so much about you..." Crystal smiled, happy to be meeting Destiny's 'Philly best friend' as she called her.  
  
"Vice versa, too. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about you. Any friend of Des or Rach's is a friend of mine..."  
  
"Thanks, Topanga. That means a lot. I was kinda worried that I wouldn't fit in, in all honesty. And I have a huge fear of having no friends..." Crystal explained. "Everyone here seems so nice, though. I'm glad I came."  
  
"Well, so are we. I'm gonna go sit down with Cory. Feel free to join me anytime." Topanga smiled.  
  
"Thanks," Crystal smiled.  
  
~~  
  
So, basically, what they expect me to do, is pretend to wanna meet these people, when I really don't? I hate acting. I really do. Shawn Hunter sighed. And why did Angela have to come? She never comes to anything else, but the one thing that I HAPPEN to be at, she comes, and brings her boyfriend. Nice.very nice.  
  
"Hi, Shawn..." Destiny approached Shawn. "Rachel told me about everything..."  
  
"Hey, Des. Yeah, it's no big. I'm getting over it..." Shawn lied. "Where's Rachel's sister, anyway?" he asked.  
  
Destiny sensed the tension in his voice, so she went along with his change of subject. "Uh..." she looked for Crystal. "Crystal is right...there." Destiny pointed her out.  
  
Shawn normally would have been attracted to a girl like this, but today, no. He was in a very bad mood. His alarm clock had gone off too late, because he'd forgotten to set it to daylight-savings-time, so he missed an appointment, and he'd had every last button pushed, so he was on the brink of explosion. To top it all off, now he had to pretend that he was happy to see a bunch of people that he really wasn't happy to see. "Ah, she's definitely Rachel's sister," he nodded. "Just minus the giant-factor."  
  
"Yeah, she definitely didn't get her height from Christine..." Destiny shrugged.  
  
"So," Shawn was basically emotionless. "I take it Rachel told you about Angela?"  
  
"Yeah...I'm sorry, Shawn..." Destiny frowned. "You know, I'm available to talk, always."  
  
"Thanks..." Shawn shrugged. "But I'm dealing just fine, I think."  
  
~~  
  
Is that Shawn? Crystal looked toward the guy Destiny was talking to. Whoa...it is... she said after she saw Destiny's lips move to say his name. Wow...he looks completely apathetic...poor guy. At that point, Crystal took it upon herself to befriend Shawn, no matter what it took. 


	3. Horrible Days and Rainy Nights

Shawn scoffed as his alarm clock went off. 'I've hit the damn button twice already...' he whined to himself. "Oh no!" he jumped up, looked across the room, and saw that Jack was already gone. "Oh damn it all! First day of class!" he rushed to the bathroom to shower and get dressed. "Nice first day, Shawn. Applause for idiocy." He mumbled, clapping his hands. After a silent shower, he sighed again. "I start with Feeny, too. Beautiful, just what I need...another 'are you ok, Mr. Hunter?' speech..." he dried himself off, and walked to the sink to brush his teeth. "I love school I tell you...why'd I even go to college? Thank you, Cory Matthews..." he grumbled, pulling on his boots. "Wonder who's in my American History class this year..." he grabbed his books, and walked out the door.  
  
"So, class..." Mr. Feeny continued his lecture. "Tonight's homework is to read pages-..."  
  
Shawn poked his head into the classroom. "Uh...sorry Mr. Feeny...I..."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Mr. Hunter. Just take a seat." Mr. Feeny looked at Shawn, concerned.  
  
Crystal looked beside her and a very stressed Shawn. "Here..." she handed him a pen. "You seem to be lacking one of these..." she whispered.  
  
"Thanks..." he grinned falsely at her.  
  
"No problem..." she sensed the falseness, and quickly went silent.  
  
If you asked Shawn to repeat a word of Mr. Feeny's lecture that day, all he could probably tell you was 'and' or 'if.' His mind was elsewhere, specifically on his dad, his mom and Angela. He wondered if Angela ever thought about him, or missed him. He wondered if things with his dad could have been different. He wondered if his mother had emailed him back. His mind was racing into a million different directions, until the moment he fell asleep, right in Feeny's class.  
  
"Shawn..." he felt someone shake his shoulder. "Shawn...get up..." the voice was soft and comforting. It sounded almost like Angela's, only more gentle. "Hey...Shawn...come on, wake up...class is over, and you're gonna be late for your next class if you don't hurry..."  
  
"Huh? Oh...uh...thanks..." he looked around. "Thanks...uh..."  
  
"Crystal..." she nodded her head at him. "Crystal Maguire..."  
  
"Rachel's sister, right?" he stood up, his face not changing a bit. "You didn't have to stay you know?"  
  
"Well, I just thought you might appreciate it, that's all. I mean..." Crystal looked down.  
  
"Oh, no, Crystal, I'm sorry..." Shawn started to walk away. "I do appreciate it. I've just had a rough day so far..."  
  
"It's ok, I understand...I'll see you sometime, ok?" she smiled.  
  
"Wait..." he turned around.  
  
"Huh?" she asked.  
  
"Uh..." Shawn thought quickly. "Here's your pen back." He walked over to her, and handed her the pen  
  
"Oh, keep it...you never know when you'll need it. Someone may not be as generous in your next class." She winked, and pushed a piece of auburn hair out of her eyes.  
  
Shawn grinned. 'No...don't do that, Shawn. No. She'll only hurt you like everyone else in your life has. I have to stay alone...' he shook his head quickly, and picked his books up.  
  
~~  
  
"Mr. Feeny, can I talk to you?" Crystal walked up to Me. Feeny's desk after class was over.  
  
"Sure, Miss Maguire, about class?" Mr. Feeny asked.  
  
"No, about Shawn..." Crystal shrugged, looking at the door. "I've heard all kinds of stories from Rach and Des about you helping them, and I think I need some help."  
  
"Sure, what's going on?" he asked. Mr. Feeny was someone you could always count on for advice. He had helped Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Eric numerous times, and Destiny too, when she was there.  
  
"I'll start off by saying, I don't even know the guy. But I'm worried about him. The only two times I've ever seen him, he's looked so stressed out. I've heard a lot, like, things that are going on in his life, and they're terrible. Do you think he'll be ok?" she asked.  
  
"Shawn is one of the strongest person I know, which sometimes makes him his own worst enemy. He has been through a lot, just in the past year. He's lost a lot of people he cares about, but no matter what happens to him, he always seems to come back stronger than ever." Mr. Feeny smiled, happy to see another caring friend added to the Cory-Shawn-Topanga circle.  
  
"So, I have nothing to worry about?" Crystal asked.  
  
"Well, sometimes Shawn's strength is a façade. He really needs a lot of comfort, and he needs friends more than ever right now. His only family is Jack, and they've never been close..." he explained.  
  
"I just feel so terrible..." Crystal tilted her head. "No one deserves to go through what he's been through..."  
  
"I couldn't agree with you more, Miss Maguire, but as they say, your greatest adversary can give you your best attribute," Mr. Feeny nodded.  
  
"English please?" Crystal shrugged, and laughed a little.  
  
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Mr. Feeny laughed.  
  
"Not always," Crystal knew this from experience.  
  
"Well, you know what else they say?" he asked.  
  
"No, what?" Crystal asked.  
  
"The more friends you have, the more comfortable you are," he explained.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Feeny. Rach and Des were right. See ya!" she waved to Mr. Feeny and walked out the door.  
  
"Oh, I still got it!" Mr. Feeny grinned.  
  
~~  
  
Crystal leaned against the wall outside Rachel's apartment, thinking. Rachel and Destiny were talking about Cory and Topanga, and how perfect they were for each other, and being single, too much love made her sick. So, after sitting outside for awhile, she decided she should go for a walk. She walked to the door, and poked her head in. "Rach, Des...I'm going for a walk, ok?" she told them.  
  
"Ok, are you sure you don't wanna just sit and talk with us?" Destiny asked.  
  
"I'm fine, really. I'll be back later." She nodded.  
  
"See ya sis," Rachel looked a little concerned for Crystal.  
  
Crystal walked around a little, and then came to the playground. She looked around, and saw that it was empty of people, so she sat down and started to cry. 'I'm in such an unfamiliar place...I know no one, and no one seems to care that I'm uncomfortable. I miss my mom...I miss my dad...I guess I only came because Des wanted to, and Rach wanted me to. Maybe now that Des is here, I could just go back to Austin...' she sighed and stood up.  
  
All of a sudden, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone stumbling over a metal beam. She looked over, curious, and saw him, whoever he was, trip over a swing.  
  
"Uh..." he scoffed. "Excuse me...what the hell is your problem?" he cursed at the swing.  
  
Crystal recognized his voice. "Shawn?" she ran up to him and helped him stand up straight. "Shawn, are you ok?"  
  
"That stupid...uh..." he paused, as though he were looking for a word.  
  
"Swing?" Crystal smelled alcohol on his breath, and coughed a little.  
  
"Yeah, that's it..." he stumbled over a rock, and almost brought Crystal to the ground with him.  
  
"Shawn...have you been drinking?" she asked, helping him up.  
  
"Nah...why would you think that?" he almost fell right back over.  
  
"Oh, I don't know...you were talking to a swing..." Crystal shrugged, sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, that is kinda funny, isn't it?" he asked, and tried to sit on a swing, only to miss, and end up sitting on the ground. "I seem to like the ground tonight..."  
  
"Come on, Shawn...I'm gonna help you get home..." she helped him stand up, yet again.  
  
"Ok...thank you..." he slurred.  
  
"Where do you live?" she asked.  
  
"On Davis Street...in the apartment building...third floor, second room on the right..." Shawn felt a churn in his stomach, and stumbled to the bushes.  
  
Crystal followed him, to make sure he didn't get hurt. "Ugh..." she rubbed his back as he puked, looking away from him to stop herself from puking too. "Are you ok?" she asked, after the throwing up had finally stopped.  
  
He groaned and stood up. He was still a little bit unsteady, but not as badly as before. "Thank you, Crystal..." he was trying not to cry. "Thank you so much..."  
  
"Hey, it's ok..." she looked up at him. He looked a complete wreck. "Don't worry about it..." she gently wrapped her arms around him in a friendly hug.  
  
He hugged her back, and felt a tear hit his cheek. "I'm so embarrassed..." he sniffled, coming to his senses a little, and realizing what he'd done.  
  
Crystal led him to a bench inside the park's gazebo. "Sit down..." she sat down.  
  
He held back tears a little longer, and sat back down. "Ok..." he looked at her.  
  
"Holding everything in is what brought you here, Shawn, isn't it?" she remembered what Mr. Feeny had told her. "You can't hold back your feelings, Shawn. You have to tell someone, whether it's me, Cory, Destiny, or even Mr. Feeny-I hear he's great to talk to-the longer you keep these things inside you, the more things like this are gonna happen..."  
  
'She seems to understand his situation better than even I do.' Shawn thought. He was listening attentively, and hugged her out of nowhere. "Crystal..." he started to cry. "My life is a living hell...I have no family...and the only family member that I really have is so insensitive to my feelings, it's not even funny..." he was crying harder than he ever had in his entire life. "I've lost my best friend to Topanga, Angela left me for someone else...I have nothing."  
  
"Well, I'm here if you need to talk, ok?" she nodded and touched his shoulder.  
  
"Thank you, Crystal..." he smiled a little, feeling that he wasn't alone for the first time in weeks. "I just feel like dying...and I can't tell Cory about it, because he's led a pretty good life, so he usually tells me things aren't as bad as I think they are..." saying those words about his best friend cut Shawn like a knife. "And, they are. Sometimes they're worse...I mean, look at me, Crystal, I look like shit! It's times like this that I wonder what I'm here for..." he wiped his eyes.  
  
"Shawn, from what I've heard from Des, you are an amazing person. I've heard nothing but great things about you, and I believe every one of them. You are here for that reason. You're here because you're amazing, and sweet. Everyone wonders why they're around. Even I do sometimes. But you know what? There is a plan for each and every one of us, and I know yours will show through to you soon," Crystal comforted him.  
  
Shawn was in awe. The person sitting in front of him amazed him. She knew every single thing that was on his mind, before he even said anything. She was truly beautiful, maybe even more on the inside than the outside. "Thank you, Crystal. That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. And it means so much."  
  
"Hey, I mean every word," she nodded, reassuringly. "There is nothing you can do to make me think otherwise, because I know that no matter how hard they try to hide it, there is good in everyone, and all your insecurities? They're not true at all. You are such a great person, your going through all this will make you a stronger and better person after it's all over with, you just have to look at it that way."  
  
Something about her, she knew exactly what to say, or exactly what tone of voice to use to make him feel so much better. He didn't even feel like crying anymore. "Thank you. Thank you so much. This all means so much coming from you. I think your 'plan' was to be a counselor or something, because you made me feel so much better."  
  
"That means a lot, thank you." She sighed.  
  
"I mean it. Not just anyone would have come up to see if I was ok, Crystal. Most people, if they heard someone drunk coming along, would have headed for the hills right away, but not you. You came up to me, and made sure I was ok. That says something really amazing for you." He looked into her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much."  
  
"You're welcome," she blushed. "But it's not that big of a deal..." she shook her head.  
  
"It is." He nodded. "It's a very big deal. And I'm always going to remember it. But, can you keep this between us, please?" he asked.  
  
"Of course." She nodded. "I would never tell anyone something so personal..."  
  
"Thank you. And I promise I won't drink anymore. Can I come to you when I need someone to talk to?" he asked.  
  
"Anytime. Even if you just get bored." Crystal smiled.  
  
"Thanks." He stood up. "Can you walk me home? I'm still kinda..."  
  
"Of course." She stood up. "Come on..." she walked beside him. 


End file.
